IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship: The Holiday's Best Sporting Event?

In this holiday season as many North American sports fans feast on the traditional holiday sports buffet items such as bowl games, and the NBA's Christmas Day games while standing untouched in the salad bar by many Americans is the IIHF World Under 20 Hockey Championship, dubbed the World Juniors for short.

This display of young hockey talent is followed meticulously by Canadians as exhibition games or shown on TSN, but is left in the television wasteland that is the NHL Network in the United States.

I urge all Americans to tune in and show the display of talent and intensity these youngsters bring. Team Canada's supercharged roster, the United States big line, and Team Russia's display of finesse always make for entertaining hockey.

It also features what Americans love the most watching their country dominate. The Americans won their opening game against Germany in a laugher and are one of the contenders in this years tournament with the aforementioned big line that includes future Philadelphia Flyer James Van Riemsdyk.

The rivalries are special and bring Ohio State-Michigan to shame. The U.S. and Canada face off next weekend, and Canada-Russia always seem to find each other in the finals for another chapter in their storied rivalry.

So I invite all sports fans to welcome a new sporting event into their holidays and join us Canadians while we watch our young countrymen make their "drive for five" straight gold medals in the World Juniors.